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ABSTRACT

THE PRESENT INVENTION RELATES TO AN AUTOMATIC PROCESS FOR PREVENTING A &#34;NATURAL SELECTION&#34; DESIGN AUTOMATION COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT IS OPTIMIZING A SPECIFIED OBJECTIVE FUNCTION, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LOCATION OF A PLURALITY OF OBJECTS, FROM BECOMING PERMANENTLY &#34;STUCK&#34; AT AN UNSATISFACTORY LOCAL MINIMUM. THE INNOVATION PRESENTED IN THE DISCLOSURE IS IN THE APPLICATION OF A NOVEL &#34;TRAFFICJAM&#34; ROUTINE WHICH ENABLES THE OPTIMIZATION PROCESS TO CONTINUE AFTER IT HAS REACHED SUCH A LOCAL MINIMUM. THIS ROUTINE OPERATES MOST EFFECTIVELY IN CERTAIN TRAFFIC-JAM SITUATIONS CAUSED BY UNRECOGNIZED COALITIONS OF OBJECTS WHERE IT IS DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE THE COALITIONS IN QUESTION AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER THEM WHEN UNRECOGNIZED. SUCH COALITIONS CAN BE BROKEN UP BY AN APPROPRIATE RANDOMIZATION OF CERTAIN SUBSETS OF THE TOTAL DATA, THE SUBSETS IN QUESTION BEING DEMONSTRABLY OF HIGH RELEVANCE TO THOSE UNRECOGNIZED COALITIONS WHOSE INCORRECT LOCATION HAS CAUSED THE UNSATISFACTORY LOCAL MINIMUM TO BE REACHED. THE NORMAL NATURAL SELECTION PROCESS MAY THEN CONTINUE TO A MORE SUCCESSFUL POINT EVEN THOUGH THE COALITIONS THEMSELVES REMAIN UNRECOGNIZED.

DEFENSIVE PUBLICATION UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Published at the request of the applicant or owner in accordance with the Notice of Dec. 16, 1969. 869'0.G. 687. The abstracts of Defensive Publication applications are identified by distinctly numbered series and are arranged chronologically. The heading of each abstract indicates the number of pages of specification, including claims and sheets of drawings contained in the application as originally filed. The files of these applications are available to the public for inspection and reproduction may be purchased for 30 cents a sheet.

Defensive Publication applications have not been examined as to the merits of alleged invention. The Patent Ofiice makes no assertion as to the novelty of the disclosed subject matter.

PUBLISHED JANUARY 22, 1974 918 O.Gr. 1329 T918,013 emu WITH ARAHDGM NATURAL SELECTION PROGRAM WITH RADOMI- ARRANGEMENT r was ZATION TRAFFIC-JAM MECHANISM Bradford Dunham, White Plains, and James H. North,

Yorktown Heights, N.Y., assignors to International M m 1 N0 BALANCE MODE: Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Yl no source? Filed June 28, 1973, Ser. No. 374,620

Int. Cl. G06f 7/00 NORMAL R US. Cl. 4441 M DE: 4 Sheets Drawing. 17 Pages Specification T The present invention relates to an automatic process RAHDOMLYCHOUSE MAKE THE MOVE YES no for preventing a natural selection design automation WOULDTHE SCORE EITHER computer program that is optimizing a specified objec- EITHER UPDAYEMLREWRDS mpnov onn mmcunsmm tive function, for example, the location of a plurality of E T S in objects, from becoming permanently stuck at an unsatisfactory local minimum. The innovation presented in L the disclosure is in the application of a novel trafiic- WWWTHESWRE TMPWE YES jam routine Which enables the optimization process to .LLH 'ZJJ 'L E Rm 5 continue after it has reached such a local minimum. This No YES no: oil routine operates most effectively in certain traflic-jam W'LLBESTEP situations caused by unrecognized coalitions of objects where it is difiicult to recognize the coalitions in question no m5 and difiicult to maneuver them when unrecognized. Such YES no coalitions can be broken up by an appropriate randomiom Into? zation of certain subsets of the total data, the subsets in j on Am MORE MRSTOBEWEM question being demonstrably of high relevance to those unrecognized coalitions whose incorrect location has WERE WW0" caused the unsatisfactory local minimum to be reached. Atom momuo The normal natural selection process may then continue 1 to a more successful point even though the coalitions themselves remain unrecognized. TEQEEHEE I EXAHIHE EACH ITEM ON THIS SIDE T0 WHICH NET REFERS: I

I DOES ITEM EXCEED STZE CRlTEHTA; i,e,,H0lTE THAN 8 TIES YES H0 YES PICK HALF THE ITEMS ON EACH LIST AT RANDOM PUT PIDKED ITEMS 0" OPPOSITE SIDE CALCULATE "SCOTTE' OF THIS AHMHBEMEHT Jan. 22, 1974 Filed June 28, 1973 DUNHAM ETA!- 8. NATURAL SELECTION PROGRAM WITH RANDOMIZATION TRAFFIC-JAM MECHANISM FIG.

1A F I6. 'I A FIG. I

START WITH A RANDOM ARRANGEMENT OE ITEMS I 15 IN BINS I+2:SCORE IT l BALANCE MODE ARE BINS 1&2 N0 IN BALANCE? l I RANDOMLY CHOOSE AN ITEM- FROM THOSE IN THE LARGER BIN NORMAL MODE: l WOULD SHIFTINC THIS ITEM BE A STEP TOWARDS BALANCE? RANDOMLY CHOOSE MAKE THE MOVE YESI NO AN ITEM RECARDLESS (EITHER SINGLE OF SIZE-FROM OR DOUBLEI,AND WOULD THE SCORE EITHER EITHER BIN UPDATE ALL RECORDS IMPROVE 0R REMMN CONSTANT YES NO I ANY MORE ITEMS TO TRY IN LARCE BIN? NO YES 4 Sheets-Sheet I WOULD THE SCORE IMPROVE RANDOMLY CHOOSE AN ITEM FROM EACH BIN WHICH, IF EXCHANCED,

NO YES DO ANY ITEMS REMAIN WHICH HAVE NOT YET BEEN TRIED? YES NO WILL BE A STEP TOWARDS BALANCE WOULD SCORE EITHER IMPROVE OR REMAIN CONSTANT? YESI lwo ANY MORE PAIRS TO BE TRIED? NO YES WE ARE "STUCK" ON A LOCAL MINIMUM Jan. 22, 1974 Filed June 28, 1975 B. DUNHAM A NATURAL SELECTION PROGRAM WITH RANDOMIZATION TRAFFICJAM MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 TRAFFIC-JAM I MECHANISM: FIG'1B IS THIS TIIE BEST, LEGAL POSITION YET ACHIEVED NO YES REsTORE-TIIE BEST LEGAL POSITION EXAMINE A CROSSOVER NET:

HAS IT EITHER A FIXED ITEM, OR 3 FREE ITEMS ON THIS SIDE NO YES[ I I EXAMINE EACH ITEM ON THIS SIDE TO WHICH NET REFERS:

DOES ITEM EXCEED SIZE CRITERIA; i.e.,MORE THAN OTIES'? PUT ITEM ON LIST FOR THIS SIDE ANY MORE ITEMS ON THIS SIDE WHICH ARE REFERENCED BY THIS NET? N0 YEsl I TRY OTHER SIDE OF SAME NET BOTH SIDES TRIEDI I ANY MORE CROSSOVER NETS? NOI Y sI PICK HALF THE ITEMS ON EACH LIST AT RANDOM PUT PICKED ITEMS ON OPPOSITE SIDE CALCULATE "SCORE" OF THIS ARRANGEMENT Jan. 22, 1974 DUIQHAM ETAL T918,013

NATURAL SELECTION PROGRAM WITH RANDOMIZATION TRAFFIC-JAM MECHANISM Filed June 28, 1973 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

FIG. 2

Jan. 22, 1974 B A ETAL T918,013

NATURAL SELECTEON PROGRAM WITH RANDOMIZATION TRAFFIC-JAM MECHANISM Filed June 28, 1975 4 sheets sheet 4 TRAEFlC-JAM sTART IIIITH A RANDOM MEC ARRANGEMENT 0F ITEIIs A THIS THE BEST LEGAL |N BINS 1+2=SGORE POSITION YET ACHIEVED? NO YES I R sToRE THE ExAIIINE A ARE BINS E QBQ'Y BEST LEGAL CROSSOVER YES 1&2 IN w POSITION NET:

BALANCE? N RMAL M805: RANIIoIIIII CHOOSE AN ITEII FROM HAS IT EITHER A l THOSE m THE FIXED ITEM, 0R 3 FREE RANDOMLY I LARGER BIN 7 ITEMS, ON THIS SIDE? CHOOSE AN ITEM I Nol YESl REGARDLESS 0F SIZE-FROM IIIIIIILII SHIFTING ExANINE EAcH ITEII EITHER BIN THIS ITEII BEA ON THIS SIDE T0 STEP vTOWARDS IIIHIcH NET REFERS:

BALANCE? MAKE H M DOES ITEII EXCEED SINGLE 0R WOULD THE scoRE MORE THAN 8 DOUBLE),AND EITHER IMPROVE |YES |No UPDATE ALL 0R REIIAIN I I REcoRIIs CONSTANT? PUT ITEM 0N LIST FOR THIS SIDE I I YES NO ANY MORE ITENs oN 'I flfifi g 'fi g- THIS SIDE WHICH ARE i WOULD THE SCORE N0 I REFERENCED BY THIS NET? INPRovE IF THIs I ITEN Is PUT INTo TRY OTHER SIDE THE ()TIIER BIN? RANDOMLY CHOOSE NO YES AN ITEM TRoN A EAcH BIN IIIHIcH, IF EXCHANGED, TRIED I IIIIL BE A sTER ANY MORE D0 ANY ITEMS TOWARDS BALANCE c 0s50v NETS REIIAIN vIHIcH NO YES HAVE NOT YET TRIED? IIouLII THE scoRE PICK HALF THE ITENs YES NO EITHER IIIPRovE 0R ON EACH LIST AT RANDOM RENAIN CONSTANT? I NO I PUT PICKED ITSEMS I oN OPPOSITE IDE WE N0 ANY NoRE P IRs E V I Y STUCK ONA To BE TRIED? LOCAL MINIMUM CALCULATE "SCORE" L 0F THIs-ARRANcENE-NT- N 

